Achive.php Cyber News Archives - Page 7 of 14 - The Cyber Shark
Contributor

Cyber News

High-Tech Hoax: Fraudster Steals ₹1.10 Cr by Using a WhatsApp Profile Picture

WhatsApp

A fraudster impersonated a company chairman on WhatsApp using a fake profile picture and tricked a Chief Revenue Officer into transferring ₹1.10 crore. Authorities urge extra caution with financial requests over messaging apps and have launched an investigation under cybercrime laws. In a startling cyber fraud case, a con artist acting as the business’s chairman on WhatsApp scammed a 51-year-old Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of a private company in Dharashiv out of over ₹1.10 crore. On April 15, a person posing as the company’s chairman sent the victim a WhatsApp message, according to police officials. The chairman’s photo was used as the profile picture, so even though the message was from an unknown number, the CRO thought it was authentic. Citing the new number as his updated contact, the sender requested that he save it. The impostor got in touch with the CRO once more two days later and asked about the balance of the company’s account. To further win his faith, the scammer pretended to be meeting with government representatives and urgently asked for ₹1.10 crore to be sent for a project-related expense. After receiving the bank account information, the CRO made the transfer since they thought it was a legitimate request. When the company’s accountant told the actual chairman about the transaction, the fraud was exposed. The chairman was shocked and explained that he had not asked for such a transfer. When the CRO discovered the fraud, he contacted the bank right away and then informed the police. Along with pertinent provisions of the Information Technology Act, such as Section 66C (identity theft) and Section 66D (cheating by personation utilising computer resources), a cheating case has been filed under Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. To find the fraudster and retrieve the money that was sent, investigations are being conducted. The public and business professionals have once again been advised by authorities to handle financial transactions with extreme caution and to double-check requests, particularly those made over messaging platforms.

Cyber Fraud Alert: Ministry Of Home Affairs Warns Citizens about Fake Booking Websites Targeting Pilgrims and Tourists

Ministry Of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs has warned against rising online booking scams targeting tourists via fake websites and social media ads. Citizens are urged to verify platforms before payments and report fraud through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal or helpline 1930. Mumbai: The Ministry of Home Affairs has warned the public about online booking scams, particularly those that target tourists and religious pilgrims nationwide. According to the officials, these scams are being carried out via Facebook postings, phoney websites, misleading social media profiles, and sponsored ads on search engines like Google. According to statistics, Mumbai recorded 19 cases involving bogus websites in the first quarter of this year; just four of these cases were found, and three people were taken into custody. The officials claim that these scams entail the establishment of phoney but professional-looking websites, social media profiles, and WhatsApp accounts that offer services like online taxi and taxi service bookings, holiday packages, religious tours, and helicopter reservations for Kedarnath, Chaar Dhaam, pilgrims’ guest houses, and hotels. “Unsuspecting individuals, upon making payments through these portals, often realise they have been duped when no confirmation or service is received, and the contact numbers go unreachable,” the alert read. “Be sure a website is legitimate before making a purchase.  When clicking on “sponsored” or unidentified links on Facebook, WhatsApp, or Google, exercise caution. To double-check reservations, only utilise trustworthy travel agencies or official government websites.  The warning further said, “Report such websites right away at the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal: www.cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 in case of any fraud.” The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre is taking several steps to stop these scams. Scam signals are often communicated with IT intermediaries like Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp for proactive identification. States and UTS where crimes originate are being made more aware of cybercrime hotspots. Fake websites /advertisements and impersonating social media accounts are being deleted periodically to safeguard citizens. The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal’s suspect checking and reporting tool was created to make reporting easier, according to government representatives.

Karnataka orders formation of cyber command unit within state police to tackle rising cybercrimes

cyber command unit

The Karnataka government has established a Cyber Command unit within the state police to address the surge in cybercrimes, with 52,000 cases reported last year. The unit will operate under the Home Department and be led by the DGP for Cybercrime and Narcotics, using existing posts to minimize costs. On April 9, 2025, the Karnataka government issued an edict establishing a Cyber Command section within the state police to solely address the increasing number of cybercrime charges. According to the government directive, the Cyber Command unit will report directly to the state home department rather than the state police chief. It will be supervised by the Director General of Police for Cybercrime and Narcotics inside the Criminal Investigation Department. Traditional crimes like robbery, dacoity, and other types of physical theft have now been surpassed by cybercrimes. According to government sources, Karnataka recorded 52,000 cybercrimes last year, the most of any South Indian state. 43 CEN (cyber, economics, and narcotics) police stations, cyber-crime police stations operating under DGP, and CID under the Cyber Crimes Prevention Unit will be renamed by the government as part of the project. Up to 193 current police positions of all levels have been reorganized to operate under the cyber command. The Karnataka State Excise Act, 1965 (Karnataka Act, 21 of 1966), the Lotteries Act, 1964, the Karnataka State Lottery Rules, 1999, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 (Central Act, 37 of 1967), the Karnataka Control of Organized Crime Act, 2000 (Karnataka Act, 1 of 2002), and the Information Technology Act, 2000 all grant the CEN police stations the authority to file cases. Additionally, they are authorized to register offences under sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 489 (A-E) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) where the total amount involved exceeds Rs 50 lakh and to register money deposit frauds. To effectively prevent cybercrimes in Karnataka, the order states, “The Director General and Inspector General of Police have reviewed this proposal and considered it appropriate to establish a new Cyber Command Unit in the state without creating any new posts, using the existing posts, and without incurring much financial burden.” The Deputy Chief Secretary to the Government, Department of Home Affairs, will oversee the Cyber Command, which will be established by separating the positions of the DGP, Narcotics, and Cyber Crime in the CID Division. Pronab Mohanty, an IPS officer from the 1994 batch, is currently the DGP Narcotics and Cyber Crime. The government order states that the DG Cyber Command will oversee the Karnataka Cyber Security Policy and serve as the state’s Chief Information Security Officer. Additionally, a Multi Departmental Coordinating Committee (MDCC), established in March 2024 to handle disinformation cases, will report to the DG Cyber Command.

Helpline 1930 links Panchkula cyber victims to prompt action

Helpline 1930

Increased awareness of cybercrime helpline 1930 in Panchkula has led to a rise in fraud reporting, faster recovery of funds, and more arrests. In early 2025, FIRs and recoveries nearly doubled compared to the previous year due to timely reporting. Increased awareness of the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930 has led to a rise in complaints, better recovery of fraudulent payments, and more arrests of scammers, so Panchkula residents are reporting online scams more swiftly. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched a specialized cybercrime helpline in 2021 to allow victims to report online fraud immediately. This helps to quickly freeze illicit transactions and, eventually, aid in recovery. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) created the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which runs the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and helpline. In the first three months of 2025, Panchkula cyber police received 911 complaints of fraud totalling ₹7.62 crore. Compared to the same period in 2024, when 807 complaints about losses totalling ₹7.38 crore were received, this indicates a 12% rise. Between January and March of this year, the number of FIRs filed about cyber scams doubled from 21 in 2024 to 43 this year. As evidenced by the fact that ₹32.95 lakh (43%) of the ₹75.53 lakh that were put on hold after the crimes were reported through the helpline was recovered in January–March 2025, more complaints and prompt reporting are also leading to prompt action. Only ₹35,712 (0.31%) of the ₹1.12 crore that had been kept through the helpline during the same time in 2024 was returned. Arrests doubled from the first quarter of 2024 There are also more arrests as a result of the greater awareness. In 2024, nine cybercriminals were apprehended in the first quarter. That figure has increased to 17 this year. Inspector Munish Kumar, who is in charge of the Panchkula cybercrime police station, stressed how important it is to call the 1930 helpline as soon as possible to stop the transaction chain.  “Timely reporting is essential. It maximizes the likelihood of recovery before the money goes down the chain by quickly connecting victims with banks and law enforcement. “Campaigns targeting senior citizens, ex-servicemen, resident welfare associations, market welfare associations, schools, and colleges are being held regularly to raise public awareness about the helpline and to combat cybercrime,” he continued. Furthermore, according to a cyber police official, the 1930 helpline currently receives 90% of Panchkula’s cybercrime reports. In total, 3,615 cyber fraud complaints ttotalling₹11.90 crore were filed with the Panchkula police last year. In addition, 169 FIRs ttotalling₹42.21crorese were filed. After the 1930 helpline helped put ₹10.36 crore on hold, the victims received ₹6.06 crore.

Police in Tamil Nadu issued a warning about the possible dangers of creating Ghibli art online

Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu Police Cyber Crime Wing has warned against using Ghibli AI Art generators, citing risks of data theft, identity fraud, and malware. Users uploading selfies to unofficial sites may unknowingly expose personal information to scams and cybercrimes. People have been alerted by the Tamil Nadu police to the possible dangers of creating “Ghibli AI Art” by sharing pictures or selfies. According to a statement from the State Police’s Cyber Crime Wing, the public’s use of Ghibli AI Art has alarmingly increased in recent days. The Ghibli AI Art generators created anime-like representations from user-uploaded images or selfies based on the user’s facial features. Users frequently overlook or undervalue the risks associated with this, though. The AI system would examine and record the surroundings, faces, and facial expressions. Without the user’s express consent, these uploads are utilized to train the AI. As stated in the announcement, “continuous uploading [of photos or selfies] will increase the system’s knowledge base.” Concerns were raised about the users’ inability to quickly remove the data they had submitted. There was no sure-fire method to ask for deletion in the case of image uploads. According to the police, users who distribute and use Ghibli’s artwork on internet platforms without permission, especially if they get it through dubious or unofficial means, run the possibility of falling victim to cybercrimes. Photographs uploaded on any dubious link could result in issues like data leaks or data being sold to unidentified advertising companies. A lot of websites that provided Ghibli artworks for free downloads were fronts for scams. Data loss and identity theft may result from users downloading content from these sources and unintentionally infecting their devices with malware, viruses, or ransomware. Popular Ghibli characters and artwork can be used by scammers as bait in phishing con games. Fake giveaways, competitions, or links to free Ghibli art downloads are frequently a part of these fraudulent efforts. If you click on these links, you could lose money or have your bank information and personal information stolen, the police said.

Aadhaar Seva Kendra staff with access to data of thousands of visitors on cybercrime net

Aadhaar Seva Kendra

Two men from Haryana, including a former Aadhaar Seva Kendra staffer, were arrested by CID for forging Aadhaar and PAN cards to create fake firms and commit a ₹43 lakh Bitcoin scam. The accused misused the Aadhaar data of thousands of visitors, prompting a cybersecurity alert. CID investigators revealed that one of the two individuals detained from Haryana about a cyber scam purportedly led by bank management had previously worked at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra. The database of thousands of visitors to the centre was available to him. Officers from the state CID’s cyber police investigated a complaint from a resident of Chandernagore and discovered that several fake Aadhaar cards were used to register shell firms and related bank accounts. Himanshu Solanki, 32, and Praveen Kumar, 29, of Faridabad, Haryana, were detained by the state CID on 06 April 2025 suspicion of fabricating Aadhaar Seva Kendra and PAN cards as well as fictitious businesses using forged documents. Praveen Kumar altered his name to create several Aadhaar cards. He is identified as Paresh Kumar in one, Praveen Kumar in another, and Pratap Kumar in the third. Despite having different identities, they all share the same Aadhaar number, an officer stated. CID detectives believe that the gang, which has been falsifying the information of visitors to Aadhaar Seva Kendra, has other members. “It is best to mask your Aadhaar card so that the number will not be visible to anyone else, even if you use a photocopy,” a CID officer advised. To send an alert to the holder’s cell phone if someone attempts to commit any fraudulent conduct with their Aadhaar number, the police also suggested tying the Aadhaar to that number. According to CID officers, the accused defrauded the complainant of ₹43 lakh by enticing him to make a Bitcoin investment. On social media, he had seen the investment scheme’s marketing. A branch manager of a nationalized bank and his wife, who was stationed in Murshidabad, received the proceeds of the crime, the police discovered later in the investigation. The manager of the branch has already been taken into custody. He is being held by the police.

Financial frauds top Mizoram cybercrimes, over half of total cases filed

Financial frauds

Financial frauds is the most common cybercrime in Mizoram, accounting for over 56% of the 321 cases reported since 2020. Authorities have recovered ₹1.42 crore, with 113 arrests and 40 convictions made in cybercrime cases during this period. According to official data, financial fraud accounted for 56.38 per cent of the 321 cases that were filed between January 2020 and March 11 of this year, making it the most prevalent cybercrime in Mizoram. According to data from the state cybercrime police station, 181 occurrences of financial crimes were reported during that time, mostly online banking fraud and impersonation deception. Identity theft (32 incidents), child pornography (16), harassment on social media (nine), copyright infringement (seven), false rumours (five), and hacking (one) are among the other offences. According to the archives, 2022 saw the greatest number of financial crimes, with 107 incidents documented. Approximately Rs 1.42 crore was recovered in financial frauds cases between 2021 and March 11, 2025. Records show that the state had the highest number of cybercrimes in 2022 (158 incidents), followed by 2023 (72 cases). Of the 41 cybercrime instances that occurred in 2024, 15 involved sexual harassment and 17 involved financial offences. Thirteen cases of cybercrime were recorded as of March 11 of this year, including six cases of sexual harassment and four cases of financial frauds. According to the records, since 2021, 113 people—including eight minors—have been arrested in cybercrime cases, and 40 of them have been found guilty.

Ghibli glam or privacy scam? Chandigarh Cyber Cell issues advisory

Ghibli

The Chandigarh Police Cybercrime Cell has warned against rising online frauds involving fake Ghibli artwork and merchandise. Users are advised to stay alert, verify sources, and avoid suspicious links or offers to protect their data and finances. The Chandigarh Police Cybercrime Cell has issued a warning about possible frauds that pose as Ghibli artwork or items. Ghibli’s artificial intelligence (AI)-generated graphics have garnered a lot of attention in the past week. According to a Cybercrime Cell statement, these crimes can take many different forms, and both authors and fans should be mindful of the possible dangers that exist in the digital realm. Cybercriminals frequently create phoney internet shops or auction platforms that purport to sell Ghibli artwork or authentic items. These websites have the potential to send fake goods, steal personal information, or vanish after a transaction. Before making a purchase, always confirm the legitimacy and authenticity of websites, according to DSP (Cyber Cell) Venkatesh. According to the DSP, who briefed on several cyber scams that may involve Ghibli, phishing emails may be sent by fraudsters posing as Ghibli news or offers. These emails may contain links to phoney social media profiles or retail locations. The DSP warned that clicking on these links could result in the download of malware or the loss of personal data. According to reports, phoney Ghibli-related competitions or prizes are frequently employed as a means of obtaining user information or persuading users to download harmful programs. Additionally, some cybercriminals pass off malware or ransomware as downloaded content (like Ghibli wallpapers or art packs), which is how hazardous software is camouflaged as Ghibli art. According to the Cyber Cell, if a person downloads the content, harmful software may be placed on their device, which might lock or steal data. Regarding identity theft, the DSP stated that cybercriminals may fabricate websites or social media profiles that pose as artists, particularly fan artists, to obtain admirers’ personal information or even to sell phoney artwork. When interacting with creators or fan communities, exercise caution at all times. The Cyber Cell advised using platforms that let users confirm their identity, including verified social media accounts, and refraining from disclosing private information, such as credit card numbers unless you have faith in the platform. The Cyber Cell provided information on how to confirm authenticity, stating that you should always make sure that websites or accounts that sell Ghibli artwork, products, or content are authentic. Report any stolen Ghibli artwork or fake goods you come across to the appropriate authorities or websites. Purchase genuine goods and downloads from reputable, official websites to avoid fraud, DSP Venkatesh said. Furthermore, it’s best to avoid falling for offers that seem too good to be true, Especially when they come from unknown websites or unwanted emails. According to the DSP, you may safeguard your work and yourself against cybercrime involving Ghibli art by remaining aware and alert.

Maharashtra Cyber Corporation was formed to audit govt and Pvt. Firms’ preparedness for fraud

Maharashtra Cyber Corporation

The Maharashtra government has transformed its Cyber Command Center into the Maharashtra Cyber Corporation to strengthen cybersecurity readiness. It will audit and guide government and private firms on cyber fraud prevention. On April 1, 2025, the Maharashtra government formally transformed its Maharashtra Cyber Corporation Command Center into a cyber corporation that will investigate the state’s overall readiness for cyber security. It will serve as a guide for public and commercial organizations, as well as government departments, on safe cyber practices and cyber security. At a cabinet meeting last month, the idea to turn the MMaharashtra Cyber Corporation Police into a company was accepted. Maharashtra Cyber, which operated off of a floor at Cuffe Parade, received an upgrade last year when the state government invested Rs 838 crore and gave it the entire Mahape building in Navi Mumbai. An official added, “We will be guiding government and private companies in matters of cyber security. To make sure they don’t become victims of cyber fraud, this will be done. Private businesses will be subject to yearly audits and need to adhere to the security protocols established by the Corporation. According to the Government Resolution, the state government will own all of the corporation when it is formed under the Companies Act. The Corporation’s authorized share capital will be Rs 200 crore. The entire paid-up and subscribed share capital will come from the state government. This will cover the corporation’s first year’s necessary administrative costs, and any further administrative costs will be covered by the corporation’s revenue, the GR stated.